By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on October 3, 2026
Serves 10
352 cal · 480 min
Creamy Caramel Flan
Recipe GLPR46045857844eae
Rate this recipe
Average rating: 4.8 (1)
A silky-smooth custard dessert with a rich caramel sauce, baked in a water bath until set with a delicate, creamy texture. This Spanish classic combines cream cheese and evaporated milk for an ultra-luxurious result.
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Ingredients
¾ cup white sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 large eggs
12 fl oz evaporated milk
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking, watching carefully, until the sugar turns a deep golden amber color, about 8–10 minutes. Do not let it burn.
Immediately and carefully pour the hot caramel into a 10-inch round baking dish. Working quickly, tilt and rotate the dish to coat the bottom and sides evenly with caramel. Set aside and let cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time to the cream cheese, beating on low to medium speed after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour in the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Add the vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until the mixture is completely smooth and well blended.
Carefully pour the custard mixture over the caramel layer in the prepared baking dish.
Place a damp kitchen towel in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Set the baking dish on top of the towel inside the roasting pan.
Place the roasting pan on an oven rack. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. This water bath ensures gentle, even cooking.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the flan is set around the edges but the center still jiggles slightly when gently shaken—this indicates a creamy, custard-like texture.
Remove from the oven and water bath. Allow the flan to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, before serving.
To serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the flan to loosen it. Place a serving plate on top of the baking dish and invert, allowing the caramel to drip over the top and sides.
Comments
Every ingredient is stocked at any Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, or ALDI in Charlotte—no special stops needed. At roughly $1.50 per serving, the cost is driven by eggs and cream cheese, but flan stretches these rich ingredients across 10 servings efficiently. The stated 480 minutes includes baking and especially the critical chilling time, which is honest; active prep is about 15 minutes. This is a make-ahead dessert that actually improves overnight, reheats gently in a warm water bath, and suits a dinner party far better than a weeknight, but it stores beautifully for days and feeds a crowd with minimal fussing on the day you serve it.
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